Door hinges. Jumper cables. Copper pipe. Wire jumpers. “We’ve seen it all by people who are trying to divert power by bypassing their meter,” notes OREMC Member Service Representative Royce Proctor. “Power theft is a crime that can lead to jail time, thousands of dollars in fines or even worse, death.”

Stop Sign graphic asking for help stopping power theft.Meter tampering—whether it is damage of property or actual theft of services—results in hazardous conditions to those living in the home, OREMC employees and the public. When someone steals electricity by bypassing the meter, they not only affect the reliability of the distribution system but also lose the benefit of overload protections in place on the system. This causes a fire hazard due to increased heat, possible short circuits leading to an arc flash and potentially an explosion.

Your help in stopping power theft benefits all OREMC members. If you are aware of power theft at a location or concerned about a suspicious situation, call our confidential Tip Line: 833 OKE TIPS (833-653-8477). You will be prompted to leave a voice mail with any information you may have including a brief description of what you saw, address location and names of any individuals involved if known.

Messages will be checked regularly so tips can be follow-up on. If you would like to speak to Member Services Representative Royce Proctor directly, please call 800-262-5131 ext. 3307 or via email at royce.proctor@oremc.com.